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Work Function

The document describes an experiment to determine the work function of a metal filament in a vacuum diode tube. The apparatus includes a vacuum diode, voltmeter, DC power supply and milliammeter. The circuit diagram and procedure are provided. As the filament is heated, thermionic emission occurs and the plate current is measured for different filament voltages and temperatures. A graph of log(I/T) vs 1/T is plotted and the slope (m) is used to calculate the work function (φ) using the given formula. The experiment is repeated for different plate voltages and the work function of the metal filament is determined.

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Sinjan Ray
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133 views

Work Function

The document describes an experiment to determine the work function of a metal filament in a vacuum diode tube. The apparatus includes a vacuum diode, voltmeter, DC power supply and milliammeter. The circuit diagram and procedure are provided. As the filament is heated, thermionic emission occurs and the plate current is measured for different filament voltages and temperatures. A graph of log(I/T) vs 1/T is plotted and the slope (m) is used to calculate the work function (φ) using the given formula. The experiment is repeated for different plate voltages and the work function of the metal filament is determined.

Uploaded by

Sinjan Ray
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WORK FUNCTION OF A METAL

Aim: To determine the work function of material of the filament of the vacuum diode tube.

Apparatus: Vacuum diode, voltmeter, DC power supply, milliammeter.


2.303 KXm
Formula: Work function (o) = 1.6 x 10 9 eV

Where K= Boltzmann constant = 1.38 x 10 J/sec


m= slope
Circuit diagram:

v,()

Nature of graph:
(1/T) X 10*

Log(l/T')

Theory:
When a metal is hcated, clcctrons are cmitted from its surface. This phenomenon is called
thermionic emission. This property is widely used in vacuum tubes., in which a metallic cathode

19 B.Sc V semester Physics lab manual, Dept. of Physics, Govt. Science


College, Chitradurga
WORKFUNCTION OF A METAL

is usually heated in order to supply the clectron required for the operation of the at absolute zero
kelvin.,
1) The height of the potential barrier can be taken equal to Et o, where E, is the Fermi
energy level and Í is the work function.
2) All the levels up to the Fermi levels are filled and the levels above the Femi level are
empty.
3) No electrons can escape from the metal surface. The work function is the minimum
energy required to remove an electron from the Fermi surface to the vacuum outside the
metal.

Procedure:
Electrical conncctions are as shown in the circuit diagram. For the table-l plate voltage
V, =50V as constant. The filament is heated by applying the voltage (V) and corresponding
filament current I, and the plate current I, are noted. The experiment is repeated for various
values ofV and each case R = V/l is calculated. The temperature of filament is calculated using
formula T=T(R;/Rj", where Ro is the resistance at zero degree Celsius and its value is cqual to
0.7292 for the material used in this experiment and Rr is the resistance at T. The graph is drawn

taking Log along Y-axis and 1/T along X-axis. Graph is found to be a straight line with

slope 'm'. The work function is calculated using the formula.


2.303 K xm
Work function (p) = 1.6x 10 19 cV.

The experiment is repeated for next saturated plate voltage i.e. V, = 75V
Observation:
Ro is the resistance at zero degree Celsius =0.722
T, is the temperature = 273 K
Tabular column for the plate voltage, V= 50 V
Vin mA I,in mÁ Ir in mA T=T, ( Log
R= 1, T
R
x10 10-!1 10+
R,

20 B.Sc Vsemester Physics lab manual, Dept. of Physics, Govt. Science


College, Chitradurga
WORK FUNCTION OF A METAL

Calculations:
2.303 K xm
Work function of a metal is calculated by using the formula (o) 1.6 x 10-19

Result: The work function of the metal in the vacuum diode is found to be (p) = eV

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